Big Picture Big Sound

At a press event in New York City this week, Anthem, a leading manufacturer of high-end electronics for music, home theater and distributed audio systems, unveiled their brand new line of 3D-ready home theater receivers. The MRX series features four receivers: the MRX 300, MRX 500, MRX 700, and MRX 900, all featuring at least seven channels of amplification (MRX 900 will have nine channels of amplification) and at least four HDMI inputs (MRX 900 will have seven!). 

Bringing the company's award-winning technology to its newest line, Anthem's MRX receivers are all equipped with the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) system -- technology that helps you wring the best possible sound out of your specific listening room.

The Anthem MRX receivers offer on-board decoding of all the latest audio formats including Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, and DTS-HD Master Audio.  All models except the MRX 300 support Internet radio and the MRX 700 and 900 also support HD Radio.  In addition, the MRX series will happily pass through 3D movies and television signals from HDMI-connected devices when paired with a 3DTV and a 3D-capable source component.  This makes them a perfect control center for a Full HD 3D-enabled home theater system.  The MRX receivers boast amplifier sections which embody Anthem's design focus on low noise, low distortion and "real" power. Standard on all Anthem products, the receivers come with the company's user-friendly menus and easy operation.

Additional technical features of the MRX receiver line include:

• 9.1 channels of amplification with bi-amping capability on the MRX 900
• 7 channels of amplication on all other models
• Built in Anthem Room Correction (ARC) system
• Internet Radio via built-in Ethernet port on models 500 and up
• Front and rear USB inputs play music from the hard drive or memory stick on models 500 and up
• 1080p up-conversion with Deep Color support
• Second 2-channel zone

Designed for use with all MRX receivers, Anthem is also introducing an optional add-on accessory, the MDX 1 iPod/iPhone dock, including native digital output and on-screen display for the latest generation iPod/iPhone. With no AC adaptor plug or inserts required, as well as menu access and song selection using an MRX remote control, the MDX 1 is expected to be a popular add-on to the entire MRX family of receivers. The MDX 1 will be released simultaneously with the MRX 500 and MRX 700 receivers and will be priced at $129 MSRP.

The MRX series receivers are estimated to start at $999 MSRP for the MRX 300.  The first two models, the MRX 500 ($1499) and MRX 700 ($1999) are expected to hit specialty dealer shelves by late summer 2010, with the entry-level and top-of-the-line models to follow later in the year. The cream of the crop MRX 900 model is expected to debut at a list price of $3999.

More information on Anthem:

• www.anthemAV.com